Concept 7 of 7
Put the Steps in Order
Today's big idea
Start from the step that needs nothing yet, never from the top of the list.
Begin with the step that needs nothing before it, not the one printed first.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
A jumbled list of everyday steps looks harmless until you try to put it right. The trick is not to guess the order but to ask which step could not possibly happen yet.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the four steps above: Eat, Hungry, Cook, Buy. Ask which one needs nothing before it, and that is Hungry. Then buying comes before cooking, because you cannot cook what you have not got, and eating comes last of all.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Read all the steps first, as the steps above are given jumbled.
- 2.Find the one that needs nothing to have happened yet, and put it first.
- 3.Ask what that step makes possible, and keep going until they are all placed.
✍️ Try it
Put Flower, Seed, Water and Plant in order. Then order Go to school, Wake up, Eat breakfast and Brush teeth.
Nothing has to happen before you have a Seed, then Plant, then Water, then Flower. For the morning, Wake up needs nothing first, then Brush teeth, Eat breakfast and Go to school.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking the first step listed is the first step in the order. The list is jumbled on purpose, and starting from the top is exactly the trap.
🌟 Why this matters
Following a recipe, getting ready in the morning or building something all need the steps in a workable order. Doing them out of order usually means starting again.
Exam tip: Find the step that needs nothing first, because it is always the easiest one.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Put in order: 1. Sleep 2. Brush teeth 3. Put on pyjamas 4. Get into bed”
- 1
Ignore the printed order
The list is jumbled on purpose, so the top of it is the trap.
- 2
Find what needs nothing
Brushing teeth can start the routine on its own.
- 3
Follow the chain
Brush, put on pyjamas, get into bed, then sleep.
- 4
Answer ✓
2, 3, 4, 1
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Find the step that needs nothing before it.
STEP SORTER · ROUND 1 OF 3
Step 1 · which step needs nothing before it?
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
Put in order: 1. Eat the egg 2. Boil the egg 3. Crack the shell 4. Take an egg
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!